Hi Nathan,

I don't think "Artsy-fartsy " is a good way to describe the typical
bus or vanagon owner.

Attending a bunch of Bus campouts and running two of my own has
introduced me to a LOT of bus and vanagon owners. The overwhelming
commonality of them I have seen is that they are free thinkers.  Most
of them are probably of above-average intelligence.

They are people who choose to own a vehicle based on its usefulness
rather than its new-ness.
They are people who believe that form follows function.
They are people who opt out of planned obsolescence.
Vanagon owners tend to be more practical about their vehicles than
most people, and they can cost-justify just about any modification or
related expense required to keep a vanagon in their care and service.

Luckily they are in a minority, or else the current economy would
soon collapse. (Whether or not that's a good thing is a debate for
another time).

The other lucky thing is that they have found places (mailing lists,
get-together events and campouts) to meet one another and share their
wisdom and company.

Happy Holidays,

Greg Potts
1973/74/77/79 Westfakia "Bob The Tomato
www.pottsfamily.ca

On 22-Dec-06, at 2:36 PM, Nathaniel Poole wrote:

> I'm curious: how many artsy-fartsy folks on this list? Is there a
> relationship between this unfortunate disorder and loving vanagons?
> There is
> a stereotype of hippies/vw buses, but does that still echo on with
> the 80s
> version of the bus?
> BTW I count myself as one.
>
> Nathaniel